Jay in the Smokies Take 2 Ready

Hop aboard the ultimate luxury bus experience with our guest, Jay Lawrence, as we journey from central Florida to the breathtaking Great Smoky Mountains. Picture yourself on a Prevost bus with expansive windows capturing the scenic beauty while Jay transports you to Valdosta, Georgia, for a memorable meal and a delightful stop at Ellis Brothers Pecans. Get ready for some friendly chaos and a surprising ice cream mishap before we continue our journey to the comforts of the Drury Inn in Atlanta. It's all about savoring the joy of unexpected travel pleasures and embracing the laughter along the way.

As the adventure continues, immerse yourself in the vibrant world of moonshine tasting at the Old Smoky Moonshine Distillery in Tennessee, where intriguing flavors like butter pecan await. Join us on a spirited exploration of Sevierville's Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and the bustling tourist attractions of Pigeon Forge, reminiscent of Orlando's International Drive. From the captivating "Country Today" show to the entertaining Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud, complete with an aquatic twist, this journey through the Great Smoky Mountains offers endless entertainment. With cultural visits to a Cherokee heritage site and a quirky Moonshine Museum, we wrap up our exciting tour organized by Tours by Nona, leaving you with cherished memories and a deeper appreciation for cultural adventures.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Hi and welcome to the new and improved the Michelson Travel Podcast. I will be speaking with more guests and more travelers and will bring you great insights and, I hope, to inspire your sense of curiosity. As you may or may not know, my concierge of podcast travel has retired, or so he thinks. Jay Lawrence has decided to actively travel more, so he will be one of my many guests as we explore this great world we live in, along with rediscovering America. Well, Jay, you went on a bus tour to the Great Smoky Mountains. Wow, that must have been great.

Speaker 2 0:42

Yeah, it was very nice, it was beautiful and we had a great time. You want to talk about it?

Speaker 1 0:48

Yeah, I'd really like to talk about it. So where did you start this journey?

Speaker 2 0:52

Well, we're on a bus tour. I've never done a bus tour before.

Speaker 1 0:56

I've been on a bus tour. I don't do buses very well.

Speaker 2 0:59

Well, yeah, I know, yeah, but you know, we all meet up on a Sunday morning, Right? And and uh, the bus gets there. Actually, the bus had to come from the uh, East coast, because half the bus was full from the East coast and then the West. Whatever, we filled the bus Okay.

Speaker 1 1:17

So the bus was full and you were heading out from central Florida central Florida.

Speaker 2 1:22

Yeah, oh, and we had a brand new prevost bus oh, what is a, what is a prevost? Oh, you know, it's a three million dollar pieces, you know oh oh yeah, and it had seats that are brand new brand. The only thing the driver would let us do was drink water on the bus so tell me a little bit more about this bus.

Speaker 1 1:45

I mean, sometimes you go on a bus and the windows are really tiny, so tell me about this bus.

Speaker 2 1:50

You know, it felt like we had talked about the mountaineer trains in Colorado going through the mountains. Right, I felt like we were on a mountaineer train actually, because the windows on the bus were so large. And the amazing thing is, in these buses, these tour buses, you're sitting like second level up.

Speaker 2 2:08

You're not sitting down on the, where the driver is but it's not a double decker bus it's not a double decker, but you're actually on the second level, because the first level is where they put all the luggage underneath oh, so you're just a little higher than normal but the the amazing thing was I got to see much more than I've ever seen before trying to drive out of the state of Florida, because you can see beyond the shoulder of the highway.

Speaker 1 2:31

That's nice. Yeah, yeah, that's nice. So it had big windows.

Speaker 2 2:35

Yeah.

Speaker 1 2:35

That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool. Yeah, Now does it make stops along the way?

Speaker 2 2:39

Well, yeah, Bus needs to stop about every two hours, but we first stop was Valdosta Georgia. Valdosta Georgia. Valdosta we had lunch and dinner at lunch in Valdosta and then a couple hours later, we're closer to Miami.

Speaker 1 2:57

Boy, that's a big jump for me. Boy, am I going to the wrong way?

Speaker 2 3:01

And we arrived at a place called. They sold nuts.

Speaker 1 3:07

They sold nuts and we were mine. You can bring me back anything. I didn't even get a little souvenir. I didn't even get a shirt that says I went to Valdosta, and all I got was this shirt. Right.

Speaker 2 3:18

Well, we were, oh my, the bus split up. It was like everybody on their own. So there were like several restaurants around there, right? So we went to one restaurant and it was early sunday morning and I'm going there's understaffed. They're never going to get us out of here on time, right? Fact is we were the last two back on the bus, but we were okay you were taking your time, I can tell so when we went further north.

Speaker 2 3:42

We've got the ellis brothers pecans uh off of interstate 75, which is uh off of uh vienna, the vienna exit on i-75. Okay, and they are the people that do probably seen this online.

Speaker 1 3:56

We're nuts oh yeah, we're, yes, we're nuts, we're nuts for our nuts, yes, so that was ellis brothers yeah, it's family store.

Speaker 2 4:04

It's been there since 1944. They specialize in pecans and a wide variety of other nuts. But the amazing thing was I went in for the ice cream.

Speaker 1 4:14

Oh, you love pecan, ice cream, oh, ice cream.

Speaker 2 4:17

And I tell you, I got to tell the Ellis Brothers they need to find someone else to work the counter. Why Well, the poor gal. I said I want two scoops for my wife on a cone.

Speaker 1 4:29

Right.

Speaker 2 4:29

No, I wanted one scoop for my wife on a cone.

Speaker 1 4:32

Right.

Speaker 2 4:33

And I wanted two scoops and a cup. Right, she puts the cone out, puts two scoops on the cone. Right, I got a cup. It wasn't a cup, it was a barrel, I mean a pint. I mean it was like four or five scoops, nice, yeah, and all for five dollars, I mean it was incredible price too. So the amazing thing is everybody Well, not everybody, but a large percentage of the people had ice cream and we couldn't get back on the bus.

Speaker 1 5:02

We had to eat all that ice cream.

Speaker 2 5:04

That was one of the best things.

Speaker 1 5:06

And again, you still didn't bring me anything. I didn't even get a nut.

Speaker 2 5:10

The ice cream would have been melted okay.

Speaker 1 5:14

Okay, I'll give you a pass on the ice cream.

Speaker 2 5:17

We were headed towards.

Speaker 1 5:18

Atlanta. So you were heading towards Atlanta because naturally you were over by Valdosta and then Vienna, so you were heading towards Atlanta. Now did you stop there?

Speaker 2 5:25

For our first stop.

Speaker 1 5:27

Oh cool.

Speaker 2 5:27

Okay, and we stayed at a Drury Inn. Have you ever been to a Drury Inn? They're very nice, very nice. By golly, they offered a 530 kickback happy hour basically yes, they do. Plus, what do you call it? Snacks?

Speaker 1 5:46

Right, they do have snacks and booze too.

Speaker 2 5:49

They share booze, alcohol? Yes, yeah, that's why. And then?

Speaker 1 5:54

But the snacks are not just peanuts, oh no, they give you like the whole charcuterie board type of thing. Yeah.

Speaker 2 6:00

And these are better than that. Wow, I can't really remember what was on it, but it was certainly enough. You didn't need to go out for dinner.

Speaker 1 6:08

And this was in Marietta, georgia, marietta.

Speaker 2 6:10

Yeah, so it's outside of Atlanta, okay, and then in the morning, their breakfast is the best hotel breakfast that I've seen.

Speaker 1 6:18

Right.

Speaker 2 6:18

That you know that you go down and you serve yourself.

Speaker 1 6:21

And this is all off of I-75?.

Speaker 2 6:23

Right off of 75. And you know, if you're traveling, come on if you're traveling by road. I'm saying I'm looking up where Drury Inns are across the country.

Speaker 1 6:34

Oh yeah, there's quite a few. From now on, I've actually joined their club. Oh, you have the club card now. How nice.

Speaker 2 6:43

So I want to be in it, because you can't beat the price.

Speaker 1 6:46

No, it's not bad, you pay for the room.

Speaker 2 6:48

You get dinner basically, and you get a great breakfast in the morning Breakfasts are nice as well.

Speaker 1 6:54

It's not just a muffin. Right yeah, yeah. Now I have to ask you a question.

Speaker 2 7:00

Yes.

Speaker 1 7:01

When you're going in and out of these hotels, are you responsible for your own luggage or somebody else putting them?

Speaker 2 7:07

well, actually we were responsible for our luggage okay on this.

Speaker 1 7:13

They took it out of the x they took it out from under the bus and then we took it.

Speaker 2 7:17

Yeah, I mean it wasn't any big deal at that. Oh, and for the first night we, they said, just pack an overnight, don't pack the big. The big suitcase stayed in the back, right. So they pulled out an overnighter, right. So it would be much easier.

Speaker 1 7:32

So that's, that's how I pack my car. Oh yeah, I have what I'm going to have my arrival, where I'm going to be there for a week.

Speaker 2 7:39

That's in the back Good bag.

Speaker 1 7:40

And then my little overnight bag is closer to the front of my back so I can just pull it out yeah, that's how I do it, that's what uh, yeah, so we did that so where did you go from there?

Speaker 2 7:49

well, we were heading to pigeon forge. Tennessee, tennessee, yeah.

Speaker 1 7:54

Now I have to ask yeah um, how were the road situation?

Speaker 2 7:57

because you went shortly after one of the major hurricanes right well, um, we hit 75, and then, I think, we hit well 75, and then we hit 441 into Pigeon 4. Now, if you'd go further, we'd hit Interstate I-40, which would take you into Asheville, and that's where that road is still under construction.

Speaker 1 8:19

Yeah, that's a mess.

Speaker 2 8:20

I just heard on the internet that they're possibly going to have one lane open on the thing shortly.

Speaker 1 8:28

Yeah, so that took a big hit. So I was wondering. When you said you were going on this little road trip, I thought how are you going to get there?

Speaker 2 8:35

Right and Pigeon Forge in that area only had a large amount of rain, but they were okay.

Speaker 1 8:40

They were okay For Asheville, so the drive from.

Speaker 2 8:46

Atlanta to P to pigeon forge, is what about 200 miles? Yeah, yeah, it's about two, three, four hours, four hours yeah, so what?

Speaker 1 8:52

how did you know what was next?

Speaker 2 8:54

you went to well where we passed chattanooga oh, chattanooga, tennessee, you know i-75 right. I've driven that and then usually in chanooga I veer to the left and go on I-4 and go up I-24 and go up north.

Speaker 1 9:09

Right.

Speaker 2 9:10

But no, we stayed on I-75 and went on north.

Speaker 1 9:14

Oh, so you didn't know the I-24 cutoff then no.

Speaker 2 9:16

Well, but we went past it. I mean, it felt right. This is the first time I've seen that cutoff without a major backup. Really, yeah, coming back, it was different.

Speaker 1 9:27

Sometimes the bus drivers just do know how to get there.

Speaker 2 9:30

Right right.

Speaker 1 9:30

So now, once you're near Pigeon Forge, you went to Chattanooga. You had Lookout Mountain, all of these on your trip.

Speaker 2 9:38

Well, yeah, but Lookout Mountain's on the other side of Chattanooga, so we're not going to go there, right? Yeah, the other side, yeah, so we're not going to go there, right? Yeah, so what about you know? What did you do, nick?

Speaker 1 9:48

well, it didn't take all day to get to pigeon fort.

Speaker 2 9:50

Okay, so, um, they had us lined up for a tour of the smoky mountain. What was it?

Speaker 1 9:56

pigeon fort, no, pigeon fort, the island in pigeon fort right, I didn't even know there was an island in Pigeon Forge. Is that where you stayed? The next night was over by Pigeon Forge we were in Pigeon Forge.

Speaker 2 10:07

Yes, Okay. Day number two Okay, so then you went to Pigeon Forge, which is in the mountains yes, we were there, and on the island in Pigeon Forge, okay, and and this offered dining and shopping and attractions and a giant Ferris wheel.

Speaker 1 10:22

Oh, and you know, I'm petrified of Ferris wheels.

Speaker 2 10:26

Well, my wife and I, we took the Great Smoky Mountain wheels, what it was called.

Speaker 1 10:35

Now, is it a basket or is it encased?

Speaker 2 10:38

We were hanging on by our hands.

Speaker 1 10:41

Oh, hanging yeah, or is it like the Orlando Eye?

Speaker 2 10:44

It's kind of like it's what? Oh, it's like the orlando eye, okay, the question is, which one's taller? You know which one's bigger? I don't know, but it was you're gonna. I wouldn't want to say a cage, but you were in, uh, a gondola car right with windows on all around and we got a great view of the mountains.

Speaker 1 11:03

That's nice, and it took its time going around. How about? How long did it take to go around about?

Speaker 2 11:09

Well, the fun thing was when we first got in and then went wait, we're at the top and they would stop letting other people on. You know I mean, but looking around it was just beautiful.

Speaker 1 11:22

I think we've got four, four trips, oh cool, but they're slow they're slow, yes, so you can really get a good look at the mountains and everything else. Now I have to ask I mean, you're doing all these little stops along the way, now, these attractions that you're stopping at and going to, are these included in the tours or are these extra?

Speaker 2 11:41

this the island was was included the island was included but, not the dinner right you know, get your own lunch. Uh, the wheel right, but what was included right was the old smoky mountain moonshine oh well you know, I love that show it's a distillery right there in pigeon fort right and and that was included and where is my moonshine?

Speaker 1 12:07

you didn't bring that either it's still in the.

Speaker 2 12:09

It's still the distillery right there in Pigeon Fort Right, and that was included. And where is my moonshine? You?

Speaker 1 12:15

didn't bring that either it's still at the bar because, okay, so they gave us a tour of how you make moonshine, right what?

Speaker 2 12:20

are you taking notes for me, so I can do?

Speaker 1 12:22

it in my backyard.

Speaker 2 12:23

You need a still I can build one, you might have some friends come visit you.

Moonshine Tasting and Dinner Shows

Speaker 1 12:27

Right, they'll see me doing something. A brew, yeah. So now when you went to this distillery it's called the Old Smoky Moonshine- Distillery yes. And of course, you have to be over 21 to taste. Yeah.

Speaker 2 12:42

But okay, so they start. Oh, they give you a shot glass. Now, sorry, it's a glass.

Speaker 1 12:45

It looks like a communion cup okay, right know what size that yeah those are the shot glass, so they start with moonshine right, I mean the real stuff.

Speaker 2 12:56

It's white, it's good. The guy says there's no need to take covid shots when you take this because this will cure all.

Speaker 1 13:03

That's the original white lightning.

Speaker 2 13:05

White lightning and I took a. I didn't take a sip, I didn't take a tape. I mean, you know, it was like it hit my mouth and I went. Oh my goodness.

Speaker 1 13:15

You just put your tongue in. It's not for me. Yeah, now you remember I did that one year. I made grandma's apple pie, aloe vera moonshine for everybody there you go, you were making apple pie. Right, did they have one of those?

Speaker 2 13:28

Well, I think they did. They had many varieties, oh wow.

Speaker 1 13:32

Did you get a taste of all of them?

Speaker 2 13:33

Yeah, they're like apple pie, blackberry, orange butter, pecan.

Speaker 1 13:43

Did you like the butter pecan.

Speaker 2 13:44

Are you better? It went along with the ice cream, so it was a great place. It was a good thing.

Speaker 1 13:51

And of course I'm assuming that there was, you know, places to shop and you can buy the moonshine.

Speaker 2 13:57

Yeah, the moonshine that you buy would be purchased in jars.

Speaker 1 14:00

Or is it just called moon? Well, I don't think they call it shine, they call it moon, or?

Speaker 2 14:08

they shine one of the two, but it's also branded merchandise now, because 2013, the state of tennessee said it was legal to create moonshine and sell it, sell it so it's, you can buy it. I don't know if we can buy it here in I don't know florida area, but if you go to the liquor store you might be able to right, might find it in the liquor stores.

Speaker 1 14:24

If they make it legal right now, what? What was your favorite? Was it the butter pecan?

Speaker 2 14:29

oh yeah, oh yeah, I could taste that.

Speaker 1 14:32

I mean, that was okay so now I hear that you went to seva ville, tennessee, as well.

Speaker 2 14:36

Yeah, and there's a place called applewood farms applewood farmhouse restaurant and they southern comfort.

Speaker 1 14:45

Now this was included on the tour oh, so the right, so the meal was included oh yeah nice and it had apple fritters apple fritters you don't ever had apple fritter back home when I grew up.

Speaker 2 14:59

We had corn fritters but not apple, but apple fritters. And the tour guides kept saying only eat one. Only eat one, because they'll fill you up.

Speaker 1 15:09

Yeah, I believe it would.

Speaker 2 15:10

Because we've got.

Speaker 1 15:12

Jay, how many did you have?

Speaker 2 15:13

I had four and I could have eaten more, and so the dinner. You know it's family style.

Speaker 1 15:20

So they do it family style. So you're passing the potatoes.

Speaker 2 15:23

Fried chicken meatloaf pot roast.

Speaker 1 15:25

It's all there, was it all you can eat, so like if your meatloaf ran out you could just say well, meatloaf please.

Speaker 2 15:30

Oh, that's pretty cool, oh yeah.

Speaker 1 15:33

And then the restaurant is part of a village. I understand.

Speaker 2 15:36

Which is Apple Barn Village. Yeah, and in that area, what do they do? They raise apples there. Oh, so then did they have, uh like apple wine, uh I think they did. It didn't get there, you didn't get there.

Speaker 1 15:51

The set of there was a one still recuperating from the the shine yeah, there was a winery in the village and I never got there.

Speaker 2 15:59

I never, I never got there. It's amazing my wife didn't get there, but right, she loves her she likes the wine?

Speaker 1 16:04

yes, she does and, you know, with an apple orchard, I would imagine that they would do some apple wine, which is really good, absolutely now. So I hear you went to some live shows. Where did you see the live shows?

Speaker 2 16:15

uh, right there in pigeon forge. Pigeon forge is like i-90, 192 or or international drive international drive in orlando I mean it is wall-to-wall.

Speaker 1 16:25

Tourist trap. Yeah, tourist trap. So it's basically shops and souvenirs and things like that, but they have these theaters and have some good shows.

Speaker 2 16:35

The first show we saw was called Country Today in the Country Today Theater. Okay, and it was a modern country. It was good upbeat country, upbeat country music, a good show and that was a modern country.

Speaker 1 16:45

It was good, upbeat country, upbeat country music, a good show.

Speaker 2 16:47

And that was included in the tour Right. And then one night we went to the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud.

Speaker 1 16:55

So they actually have a dinner theater replicating the Hatfield and McCoy Feud.

Speaker 2 17:00

Yes, that's interesting, this was one of those big dinner theaters where you know they stack everybody up Right.

Speaker 1 17:06

You know too that's interesting. This was one of those big dinner theaters where you know they sack everybody up and right.

Speaker 2 17:09

You know to right. Okay, you can't see my arms going up the air, but they just keep.

Speaker 1 17:13

You know we're weird. A tiered, a tiered theater, tiered restaurant. And now was it? Was it a musical, was it a comedy? Yes, yes yes and Okay, that's cool.

Speaker 2 17:23

The amazing thing was the stage actually opened up and in the stage was a swimming pool.

Speaker 1 17:32

A swimming pool.

Speaker 2 17:33

And the actors did acrobats into the swimming, into the pool.

Speaker 1 17:37

So the Hatfields and McCoys were swimming as well.

Speaker 2 17:39

As well. They shot each other and then they did flips and dives.

Speaker 1 17:43

Wow, Wow Well that makes it unique and interesting. And you said this is all in Pigeon Forge.

Speaker 2 17:48

Yes, and all in that theater. And so then, when they closed it back up, the floor was wet.

Speaker 1 17:55

Naturally you know Right, because it was splashing.

Speaker 2 17:58

So they did a musical number with booms and mops mopping up the floor. Oh, how cute To get the floor back now was that also included, included nice. Included nice the only thing that wasn't included there was, uh, alcohol. Alcohol, you know you had to buy the alcohol separate now wasn't, it was a dinner show right dinner show.

Speaker 1 18:18

Oh cool so you've been, you were doing a lot of eating and a lot of drinking yes, actually that was the dinner show, and it was.

Speaker 2 18:26

We got there. The show was at five o'clock.

Speaker 1 18:28

Oh, okay, that's not too bad. Now you know you were over in that area. Did you go to Dollywood?

Speaker 2 18:35

I think that was the well. This was a Great Smoky Mountain tour.

Speaker 1 18:39

Right.

Speaker 2 18:40

So Dollywood was included.

Speaker 1 18:42

Dollywood was included.

Speaker 2 18:43

Yeah, Okay, and there again it was included. The only thing is, if you go to Dollywood right, watch out for the cinnamon bread why is it so big?

Speaker 1 18:55

oh?

Speaker 2 18:56

you buy a loaf. It is so good it tastes like grandma's cinnamon rolls okay, and again, where's mine you? Still didn't bring me back a cinnamon bread you didn't bring me back a slice, it would have been. It would have been melded by now so you had the cinnamon bread apparently dollywood was phenomenal you know, oh, back country stuff. Saw some good shows there right dolly has a museum there, a couple of other dolly features right but?

Speaker 2 19:26

but of course I love to do what I like to do ride the train oh yeah, so you rode a train and they have a big train there, that that's really good and does it take you all around dolly dollywood well, it took you around the mountain oh, okay because dollywood is really built on a mountain right and so I thought you know how in disney you go around the magic kingdom right, you go around the kingdom. I want to go around dollywood to see what it's see what you want to see.

Speaker 2 19:55

I went up the mountain and down the mountain around but that makes it nice.

Speaker 1 19:59

Yeah, now was there a place to stay around there well, dolly has a couple of extra resorts oh, okay, built beside so if somebody wanted to just go to Dollywood, they can go to Dollywood and say one of her resorts, righthmm.

Speaker 2 20:14

Right, we were not included in those resorts. We were on the budget tour.

Speaker 1 20:20

Okay, that would make sense. Now you keep saying tour, who put this tour together?

Speaker 2 20:25

It was called Tours by Nona.

Speaker 1 20:27

Tours by Nona.

Speaker 2 20:29

Yeah, okay, that's who put it together.

Speaker 1 20:31

Okay, cheap, shameless plug. So Nona can be contacted. You have her contact information or can they? Find her on the web.

Speaker 2 20:37

I think you can find her on the web.

Speaker 1 20:39

Fabulous. So if you want to do something like that, tours by Nona. Yeah, Now what else you got?

Speaker 2 20:45

Well, the reason the whole tour was called the Great Smoky Mountains.

Speaker 1 20:49

Right.

Speaker 2 20:49

And the time was the fall, so will the leaves be changing, you know, will the colors be there.

Speaker 1 20:56

Right, be changing, you know, okay, will the colors be there, right? That was the question. That's always a question, even when you go to new york is it the right time, because sometimes timing is off. We got there, perfect timing oh, so you had a lot of orange and beautiful, pretty beautiful what was the temperature like?

Speaker 2 21:11

oh, probably no higher than 70 degrees oh nice and, of course, lack of humidity oh wow, oh yeah oh, it was phenomenal yeah and then the mornings got up, it was 45 right but you know you get on the bus and by the time you get out of the bus it's like 65 you know, it's very, very, very comfortable we had very good time.

Speaker 1 21:33

So now, what about this scenic drive? You know the views and stuff well, that's what you.

Speaker 2 21:37

they drive you through the mountain up to the top and I can't remember where you, what, what it's called, where you go.

Speaker 1 21:44

Right.

Speaker 2 21:45

And at the top where we were was a part of the Appalachian Trail.

Speaker 1 21:52

Oh, so you actually got to stand on the Appalachian Trail.

Speaker 2 21:56

Oh, I walked. I walked a half a block on the Appalachian Trail. Oh, I walked a half a block on the Appalachian Trail.

Speaker 1 22:01

So you actually can say I walked the.

Speaker 2 22:02

Appalachian Trail. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 22:04

Now I know the Appalachian Trail goes all the way from there, all the way up to Maine.

Speaker 2 22:08

Right right.

Speaker 1 22:09

And people can walk it and it takes weeks to do it.

Speaker 2 22:13

It takes six months, I think Weeks and weeks yeah.

Great Smoky Mountains Bus Tour

Speaker 1 22:19

There are week takes six months, and weeks and weeks. Yeah, um, there are places where you can get off the trail and stay in hotels along the way or some people like to camp. They do that as well. Yeah, okay, uh, but you just, you just did a little. I'm on the trail, I'm walking a few steps and now I'm going back on the bus yes, and back down to gatlinburg oh, so you went to Gatlinburg.

Speaker 2 22:36

Yeah.

Speaker 1 22:37

What was that like?

Speaker 2 22:39

If Pigeon Ford looked like I drive, Gatlinburg looked like 192.

Speaker 1 22:49

I mean there were more tourist traps than I've ever seen. Well, yeah, it's a very touristy area, but it sounds like you know you also went to an educational area for the Cherokee heritage.

Speaker 2 22:58

Well, the Did.

Speaker 1 23:02

I throw you on the net.

Speaker 2 23:05

What do you call visitor centers? Visitor centers when they talk about that. Yeah, and our tour guide was talking more about the Cherokee Nation that lived in that area.

Speaker 1 23:15

It's amazing, isn't it? I don't understand how any of our indigenous people lived in any of these places, but then our government back then decided that they needed to move to Oklahoma. Right. So that was the Trail of Tears.

Speaker 2 23:30

Yeah.

Speaker 1 23:31

So that was just kind of crazy, but at least you get the history lesson, so that's kind of a good thing for like kids learning about the history of our nation.

Speaker 2 23:38

Well, at least there were no kids on the bus.

Speaker 1 23:41

No, I mean, you know where you were going. They wouldn't have been able to. There was a lot of drinking.

Speaker 2 23:45

Hey, hey, we were not drinking in there.

Speaker 1 23:48

Except when you went to the Moonshine Museum Right right Now Gatlinburg.

Speaker 2 23:52

I did get a T-shirt from Bubba Gump.

Speaker 1 23:55

Oh, but Bubba Gump's is all around.

Speaker 2 23:56

Well, yeah.

Speaker 1 23:57

Did you eat at Bubba Gump's?

Speaker 2 23:58

I ate at a Bubba Gump's. And what did I have?

Speaker 1 24:01

What'd you?

Speaker 2 24:01

have Clam chowder.

Speaker 1 24:02

Oh, Bubba Gump's has really good food. I've been to a couple of Bubba Gump's and they are pretty tasty, it was a half-scale model of the famous ship, with artifacts and interactive exhibits.

Speaker 2 24:27

We were driving towards the hotel and I look up and there's a ship.

Speaker 1 24:32

It looks like the Titanic Watch out.

Speaker 2 24:34

And on the side of it there's an iceberg Iceberg right, so watch out.

Speaker 1 24:41

Also there's.

Speaker 2 24:42

Wonder Works.

Speaker 1 24:44

Oh, right, we have that here, florida and.

Speaker 2 24:45

Orlando Right.

Speaker 1 24:49

So there's other things to do on this, and were these items included in the tour or you just seen?

Speaker 2 24:54

it? No, I saw them, you just saw them yeah.

Speaker 1 24:56

Okay, Now how long did this bus tour take?

Speaker 2 24:58

It was a? Uh well, we left on Sunday and came back on Friday, so it was about six days.

Speaker 1 25:03

Yeah, about six days, so that's pretty cool. Now I understand. You also went to a place that I have heard of but have not been called a Bucky's. Yeah, On the bus tour coming home we decided the bus needed gas and bucky's has over a hundred gas pumps.

Speaker 2 25:21

That that just is amazing. Yeah, a hundred gas pumps and I, the bus pulled up to a gas pump and I don't know if, what, what kind of fuel it needed? Well, probably diesel, I don't know. But, um, so the weird thing about a bucky's which you haven't been to right they sell a sell a lot of great food, barbecue and stuff like that Right, phenomenal Right. Except there's no place to eat it inside the store.

Speaker 1 25:44

So you had to eat it on the corner because you weren't allowed on the bus with the food Right.

Speaker 2 25:50

So what was suggested was get a lunch bucket, basically.

Speaker 1 25:53

Uh-huh.

Speaker 2 26:00

And then so when?

Speaker 1 26:00

we hit the first, uh second rest area in florida. Right, we stopped. Oh, it had a little picnic.

Speaker 2 26:02

Yeah, nice, that's nice and so after our picnic, we got home about three o'clock and it was a phenomenal bus tour so your overall impression overall, uh bus tour is convenient and comfortable and it's a great way to see the Great Smoky Mountains.

Speaker 1 26:21

I'm going to have to go look at the Smoky Mountains. I've been there several times, but this is definitely a fun way to go. And again it's tours by Nona, and Nona she put on a nice tour for you. So, jay, when you go again, you're going to have to let me know and bring me back a t-shirt. I would like to thank my guests today for sharing their travel experiences. If any of these adventures excite you, feel free to contact me z at zmichelsontravelcom. You can check out my website, zmichelsontravelcom, or you can call your local travel advisor and just say you heard it on Z Michelson Travels podcast. Remember, travel really opens up the world to you with food, culture, exploration and excitement, and we find out we truly are all the same. Travel safe and shoot for the stars, and if you only get to the moon, at least you made the trip. This is Zee Michelson. Remember, all my podcasts can be heard on any of your preferred podcast providers. And don't forget Zee is spelt Z-E-E. Thanks for tuning in and have a great day.